For When (i am) Weak, Then (I AM) Strong

     I have fallen into the trap of research which is my excuse for not writing.  I’ve been enamored by the writings of Kathryn Maddox Haddad who has a special talent for creating fictional accounts of historical events that we read about in Scriptures.  Before embarking on her second book in a series called Intrepid Men of God, I realized that I would be committing about twenty-one hours to read PAUL:  THE UNSTOPPABLE in its entirety.  I have often been leery of reading fictional accounts of God’s Word because I do not want to pick up false information and assume that it is Biblical sound.  However, at first glance at this author’s credentials, I read that she commits an average of 300 hours researching each historical novel she writes and I can attest to her thoroughness.  She has written 66 books to date.  Since I have made many passes through the book of Acts and have studied Paul’s life and his journeys over the past several years using creative imagery to solidify my understanding, I felt equip in my ability to separate fact from fiction. 

    In the beginning accounts of Saul in his persecutions of believers, Kathryn’s writing gave me a greater appreciation for how these early believers put their faith in Jesus Christ ahead of their personal comfort.  In seven short verses found in Acts 2:41-47 one can read the account of The Fellowship of Believers and see how this community came together to strengthen one anothers' faith.

• We see 3,000 Jewish converts beginning to understand the fulfillment of prophecy found within their own Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets) by the bold teaching of the apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had instructed his disciples to bring the good news to the Jews first and to start their ministry in Jerusalem in 'The Great Commission' recorded in Matthew 28:16-20.

• Wonders and signs were gifts of the Spirit given to the apostles and later to Paul to convince Jews to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We see several accounts of these gifts being used throughout the book of Acts. Jesus had taught his disciples that Jews would need signs and wonders to believe (John 4:48).

• The early church practiced generosity by helping one another to remain in Jerusalem after Pentecost even though many were not residents of that city. They provided financial support to one another 'having all things in common.' One has to wonder if it was the Holy Spirit who had stirred these new believer's hearts in this form of generosity so that these Jewish converts would become fully-equipped to spread the gospel? We see evidence of the early church adopting practices that were supported by Jesus teaching to love God and love one another (Matthew 22:36-40).  How easy would it have been to love one another in this way?

• The Holy Spirit was preparing the saints to face persecution that would scatter them beyond Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.  Just like these new believers, the Holy Spirit wants to prepare us in advance to face our unforeseen trials.  

Unlike the epistles written by Paul in the New Testament, the book of Acts is a historical account, not a prescriptive message that one is to follow.  This writing is not advocating the sale of personal property in order to live communally.  It can however, provide an illustration on how to love one another especially as we are challenged by difficulties.  Even though we may not face the same kind of persecution as did in the early church, we can look at how these new believers supported one another.        

• How can I encourage someone else's walk of faith. What gifts do I possess that would allow the Holy Spirit to use me to minister to the specific needs of another person?   

• When others are suffering and ask for prayer, is my intercessory prayer the only thing I can offer? How should I pray on their behalf? Is it God's will to strengthen their faith, bring peace in the storm, or heal them of the infirmity? It should never be our goal to get through the storm and return to normal if we genuinely believe "All things work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

• Where can I look for opportunities to show God’s goodness in the trial? How can I help others turn their trials into testimonies? How can we turn our circumstances into ‘pay-it-forward’ moments to help someone else who may face a similar crisis?

     If I am honest, sometimes I see our prayer requests as having only one desire, getting out of our present circumstance, but how does that bear witness to God?  How is God's power exhibited through us without a struggle?  

     Kathryn’s writings gave great illustrations of Paul’s persecution of the early church as he sought legal approval from the high priest to drag any followers of ‘the Way’ from Damascus to Jerusalem for imprisonment, punishment, and death.  Her writing reveals a case for blasphemy among the Jews which according to their tradition is punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16).  It wasn't always this argument, sometimes it was treason where Paul would face the same persecution and false imprisionment.  I loved how she personified Rabbi's with names in many of the locations where the Rabbi's remained nameless in Scripture.  It allowed me to see how vengeful these religious leaders could be as they followed Paul from town to town and stirred up riots among the rabble.  How many times have I read about the suffering in the Bible, but never took time to imagine placing myself in their sandals?  What would make you run for your life?  What would produce such zeal in you that you couldn't stop talking about Jesus?  My respect for Paul has gone up ten-fold since reading this fictional account of his real journey.  Never have I read a book and cringed verbally as I read a vivid account of persecution that allowed me to visualize without actually seeing. It made me realize how shallow I am as I read 'he received 39 lashes' and never have considered what Paul's back must have looked like after several beatings.  How much pain would he have endured? 

     I would venture to guess that many of us visual learners would not want to see a reenactment of such appalling crimes of humanity.  However, would we be willing to read a black and white fictional account without actual bloodstains to help us understand the tremendous cost to early followers that has brought the gospel to us?  How many of us allow our Bibles to sit idly collecting dust because we are too busy to read?  

     In the past I rarely allowed Scriptures to change me--much.  I didn’t allow the content to enter any deeper than my own comfort zone.  How casual I became when I did not allow my modern-day mindset to be altered by examples found in God's Word.  Paul was unstoppable in his caring for the fate of humanity.  How well do I measure up?  

     This morning I received a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit who said, ‘your writing doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be written to help someone on their journey.’  I knew that it was time to take my research and my deeper appreciation for Paul and write.  I would like to encourage you to join me in this exercise.  Would you be willing to take a look back over your life and highlight a few times when you have suffered in some significant way?  Now that hindsight has given us a chance to evaluate our experiences, what did God teach you in the process of these experiences?  How can we pick up the broken pieces caused by the crisis and put a firm foundation of gospel truth underneath it?  Are we willing to exposure our failings?  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV), ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

Assignment:  

1.  Take time and consider a significant trial that you have endured.

2.  Think about the type of person you could help navigate their own crisis based on your personal experience.

3.  Pray that God would lead a person like this into your path.

4.  Prepare yourself for meeting this person by writing a personal testimony about your experience.  

5.  Wait for God's direction.